Chasing History
by Rakusa
Summary: Ever wonder why Mamoru is the first one to meet Usagi? First one 'technically' on scene? Well, this goes a step further.
1. First Encounters

Chasing History

7.21.2012

Summary: Ever wonder why Mamoru is the first one to meet Usagi? First one 'technically' on scene? Well, this goes a step further.

AN: Ghat! I am not forgetting or disregarding my other stories, for this one you have to blame anti-gone, though really it's not her fault for writing a new story that got me thinking about a what-if that she doesn't even touch on... I mean really, who would have thought "she's just a girl from my home-town, she's not who you think she is" would have sparked this story? Haha... this, to answer SailorMoonLover24's question, is where I find my creative sparks, from something completely simple and random and not related one bit to the story my mind conjures up. As to the time, late, late, late at night when I should be sleeping, is when I find the time to write. :)

AN2: I realize this title might be better served in a different story but I didn't think of it then, and now when I did think of it, it fit _this_ story in my mind so much better.

* * *

First Encounters

When Usagi was eight years old, she got into some very big trouble. And when she says big, she meant it. The boys towered over her and were so much larger than her. She wasn't doing anything to cause this trouble. She was on the playground, brushing her doll's hair and sitting on the step. She had been put into time out for fighting with her little brother and he was safely in their mother's arms being cooed to.

Usagi didn't scowl at the sight, wasn't angry that she was punished for being the older one when he was clearly the one that started it. He had taken her doll from her! It was hers, and boys didn't even play with dolls! It wasn't fair. But instead of dwelling on it, and bemoaning the fact that she couldn't continue playing on the jungle-gym, she was happy that her mother let her keep the thing that started it all. She smiled happily as she brushed the doll's hair and giggled imagining all the things the doll would say if dolls could talk, but of course they didn't.

They boys had come racing down the sidewalk in their bicycles and skidded to a halt on the other side of the grounds. They came in big lopping strides towards her and tried to take the steps, where she was sitting. One got through, slipping around her, but the others stopped.

She shouldn't have felt so small, she was higher up then them, but she felt tiny when they started sneering at her. "What's this?" The doll was snatched from her fingers and she jumped to her feet to grab it back. Thankfully he did, and she hugged the doll to her chest and sat back down.

"Get out of our way." One of the other boys ordered.

Usagi was scared. She didn't want to talk back to them, she wanted to be quiet and imagine that they'd go away on their own. "Can't you hear? Get out of the way!"

"I-I can't!" She protested, and her eyes sought out her mother, but the woman was too far away to hear what was being said, they weren't talking loud enough and was putting Shingo back into his pram.

"What? Your legs don't work?" One of them actually poked her legs, but she knew if she moved before her mother said, it would be a worse punishment, she'd have her doll taken and maybe no food and be stuck up in her room and she could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes, could feel it clogging her throat and knew that if she needed to talk again she'd be unable.

"Prancy, leave her alone." The boy at the top of the steps said and the largest among them straightened out and glowered at the boy. He wasn't too tall, at least compared to the others, but then again he was years younger. He wasn't wide or muscular, he was just a boy.

"That's not my name!" Prancy howled and was clearly rolling up to a fight.

The boy came to stand next to her and a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder. "It is when you pick on girls years younger than yourself. She's here, she doesn't have to move just because you tell her to." A black brow lifted and he cast her a smile she couldn't understand. "Though it'd be easier if you just did." The boy rolled his shoulders, dismissing his words almost instantly. "Whatever her reason, she's standing her ground and you shouldn't make her break her resolve."

One of the other boys, smaller than Prancy elbowed him lightly and said a few words. Prancy's face contorted and then he nodded. "Have it your way Mamoru, just don't play any tricks."

"I wouldn't do anything of the sort." Mamoru's tone was flat and the boys moved off, took up their bikes and left the two of them. Mamoru dropped down onto the step next to her and reached out a hand to touch her doll. She let him, handing it over to him without thinking that she had a claim on it, that it was hers and hers alone. She'd share anything with him. "That was very brave of you." He smiled kindly at her and he was only a few years older than herself. "Also very stupid and dangerous." But the look still told her otherwise, that he was proud. "Choose your battles wisely in the future and if you believe in it, stand your ground." He held out his hand, giving her back the doll.

Usagi's fingers brushed his as she took it like he was giving her a gift, and in a way he was, but it wasn't the doll. "I'm Usagi." Then because she was Usagi and she was overtook with emotions she threw her arms around him in a hug. He sat unresponsive and stiff under her arms for a long moment before his came around her and hugged her in return, but it wasn't sure and it was tentative like she'd throw it back at him for even thinking it at any moment. She pulled back after a long time and beamed at him. "I like you."

"I like you too." He replied honestly and it seemed to surprise him.

"That's good, because some day when we're old like my mum and dad, I'm going to marry you."

Mamoru laughed and tried to pull her into another hug but wasn't sure how to do it. Usagi guided him and when his face was next to her ear, he responded. "That's good, because I'm going to hold you to it."

An old woman came down the path, looking very strict and also concerned. She was looking everywhere, and her body tensed when she saw Mamoru's bike left on the side near the playground and she only relaxed when she saw the boy. "Come along child, its time for a supper."

"That's the caretaker." Mamoru's arms tightened around Usagi. "Will I see you again?"

"I'm here all the time." Usagi responded. "Just it changes when exactly, sometimes before a big meal and sometimes after."

"I'd better go, but I'll see you again." He tugged at her hair. "Stay brave."

"You too." Usagi watched him go and her mother finally came over after all the fuss. Usagi didn't understand his words then, or why her mother acted the way she did or said what she said.

But Ikuko-mama dropped to her knees next to Usagi and pulled her into a tight hug. "That's my wonderful girl!" There was a small sob to her words and Usagi patted her mother's back awkwardly. That night when she asked for seconds she was given it and dessert.

Two things stuck with Usagi that day, the first was that if she had been able to speak she might not have been so afraid, Mamoru had spoken up and he'd been able to ward the boys off from tormenting her. The second was that she was a girl and as such, there was a second way to deal with boys. Of course she didn't understand all of this logically, but it started a pattern that became engraved in her.


	2. Second Helpings

AN: Just want to share with you that this story isn't completely linear. It is in a way but it jumps quickly between ages for awhile.

Second Helpings

It took Usagi a long time to realize that their first encounter wasn't exactly how her perception ordered it or how an eight year old girl ionized their chance meeting. At twelve when she was recollecting about it, her mother stepped in and set her straight. Ikuko had seen the boys terrorizing her, and she putting Shingo in a safe place to keep him from harm while she dealt with the hoodlums. She had backed off when she noticed Mamoru handling it and then talking to her.

When he left, Ikuko came over and was so proud of her daughter that emotion over took her and shared the story with her papa when they got home. Both were so pleased to have such a wonderful, accepting child. Mamoru would just groan if he thought they encouraged it, as it would be like adding a match to a forest fire.

Mamoru wasn't pleased with her nature. It took him spelling it out for her that very same night. She could never understand why he called his grandmother the caretaker. "Odango brain! Honestly, sometimes I don't understand why I even tolerate you!" They'd had squabbles over their vast differences in higher functioning, but it was usually well-natured and carefree. Tonight Mamoru learned just how vastly dim she truly was. But it wasn't in her nature to question things that were working or probing too deep into painful territory when the person appeared happy at the moment. Why dredge up painful things and bring down the mood?

"Well then tell me!" She insisted.

"The caretaker works at the bloody orphanage where I live!" Mamoru snapped. "Haven't you ever wondered why I never invite you over there?"

"Frankly, no." Usagi responded, but she was still reeling by what his living at an orphanage meant. She spoke on autopilot, giving her time to process. "I just assumed that all parents involved would prefer it if the female of the friendship didn't go over to the male's house." Usagi blinked several times at him and then lunged.

He was taken unexpected by this and usually he was good at predicting her unpredictable nature. This time she got him. He was already through with his anger, laughing at her thoughts, so innocent that when she did get him and they ended up on the ground, flying off the porch to land with a thud, Mamoru had two responses he could chose. Like Usagi, his were ingrained and he didn't even need to think about it. Rather than get angry again, he hugged her close and laughed. Though his back hurt, she was where she should be, with him, keeping him from going crazy.

"I'm sorry." She was moving though, away from him and he snatched her back.

"I'm fine. It takes more than a fall of a foot to slow me down." She was eying him as if he'd gotten a head injury. "And?"

"Well, it's just that you're about five feet now, aren't you? And then another would actually be six." She put her chin on his chest, looking down at him. "That's a six foot fall. Are you sure you're all right?"

"That's correct, but I'm right as rain."

"Rain's right?" She tilted her head in confusion. He shook his head and stood up, helping her up after he got to his feet. He wasn't going to explain that one to her.

"Why'd you suddenly knock me down as if you're trying out for a linebacker's position?" When Usagi was going to ask him about that, he cut her off. "Clearing me from my feet?"

Usagi opened her mouth and then she closed it, burring her chin into her chest and a deep sigh escaped through her nose. "I was over come with the pain of your loss." She had to blink back the tears that threatened to slip and he pulled her into a loose embrace.

"Look, I never knew them, so I can't say I really feel their loss."

"But the absence is still there." Usagi buried her face into his chest. "It must be horrible. Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She pulled back and frowned just as suddenly.

"Now what?" He reached out and captured the one tear that managed to slip down her cheek.

"You can't stay there. I'm sure if we told my parents, well you'd be allowed to stay with us. You could move in with us and be like another brother. They could adopt you."

Mamoru pulled her back in when she went to go talk to her parents. "They already know, why do you think they've been praising you as being such a wonderful child all these years?"

"No!" Usagi rounded on him again. "You can't mean that! Its not something to praise, everyone should be kind to everyone else. Not because they feel pity for another being less fortunate." Her face was scrunched up in a confused anger.

"Not everyone is like you, Odango." He mocked gently. "They don't have your heart of gold. Your parents mean well and they've always treated me kindly. They've never treated me like the rat the cat dragged in, tolerated until they can find a way to get rid of it. Or a showboat of their daughter's kindness to be paraded in front of all their friends like finding a lost specimen. They've been good, treating me like a member of the family."

"How could they know you all these years and not adopt you?" Usagi frowned. "If I had known I would have insisted."

"I would have said the same thing I say now. No." He pulled her hands up to his chest, locking them there with his fingers around her wrists. "I'm going to be eighteen in a few years and then I'm going to get my own apartment and a job. I want to be part of your family, part of your life, but I don't want to be your brother. The group home is nice, the caretaker is old, but she treats me well and is fair. She used to be a teacher so we're well educated."

"It's not the same as having a family." Usagi responded mutinously, not trying to ruin it for him, but wanting her way, which was she thought the warmer way.

He shook his head softly at her. "Being adopted isn't anything different, not at my age. They wouldn't be my parents, and I wouldn't be the only child. It would be difficult to fit into that design. I can have a family, some day, one of my own and I will always think of your parents as mine too. Your brother as my brother, but don't you ever dare ask me to call you sister."

Usagi actually shuddered at the notion. "Perhaps your right. Eighteen for you isn't as far off as it is for me." Though she had a feeling he was keeping something from her. Something important, like being an orphan. "That's only, what? Three more years?" God and she had six. That seemed like forever on her end.

He must have read some of her anguish on her features so he tugged on her hair. "Come on, lets go in and see if your momma has any more pie."

"Mmm... second helpings." Serena wrapped her arm around his and lead him back inside. Just like him, second helpings of family if he had accepted. But he couldn't, and she'd understand that.

It took another few days to realize, however inconceivable it was now, but Mamoru had been running away from those other boys. He had been in the lead tearing around the corner and then racing up passed her and keeping the high ground in case they came after him. He only turned to face them when he saw she was being picked on. What she didn't know is why they backed off so quickly and with warnings about tricks. Perhaps that's what had gotten him into problems with them in the first place. He'd played a trick and they were just warning him against further ones or he'd be in trouble.

Usagi stood at her window that night and looked across the city to where she thought the orphanage was and decided that she'd be there for him every bit he was there for her. She was already doing so, but she made a promise to herself now that no matter what, she would follow through. Her hands covered her heart and she prayed he'd be happy, at least while she wasn't there with him so she could make him so when they saw one another.


	3. Third Stop

Third Stop

"I don't know if two people could be any closer." Ikuko-mama commented to her husband one night when Usagi was fourteen. "They're like PB&J, one is super sweet and the other is flavorful and they're both nutty."

"Technically jam has seeds in it, not nuts." Her husband corrected while reading his paper.

Usagi sat on the stairs and just listened, knowing it was about her and Mamoru and why her father and mother had deemed it important that she spent a little less time with the older boy this last week. Usagi ducked and batted away the missile that was aimed at her head. She turned to glare up at the ten year old throwing things at her. Her mouth moved without words and he understood her threat. He retreated quickly and closed the door behind him.

They were talking about her behind her back because she had thrown a massive temper-tantrum when they told her she couldn't see him for awhile. Now they were rethinking their decision after she went on a strike against everything but sleeping. Then, today, she broke all of her intentions by pleading with her mother, that she _had_ to see him today. It had been hours since she made the plea. "Oh, I think I stick by my original assessment even if its not technically true." Ikuko laughed and after a moment Kenji did too.

"Then why do we want to ruin that?" Kenji asked, double checking this is what his wife wanted.

"We don't." Ikuko denied quickly. "Just that they're not meeting other students their own ages. Motoki and Naru are the only ones they let in to their little world. I guess sometimes that other kid too, with the glasses."

"Umino?" Kenji was better with the names than his wife was, which was slightly surprising as she made it her business to know everyone. "So they have three other friends. At that age, I would have counted that as a blessing."

"I suppose you're right." Ikuko's voice dropped off. "I just- I don't know, is it right that she only has one female friend and three male ones?"

"Why not? She has a brother too. Things take time and people change. And dear, don't take this the wrong way, but boys are easier to get along with."

"No, you're right of course. It was stupid of me to think that this wasn't ok. I was just suffering from a moment of greener grass syndrome." Ikuko moved around a bit. "But it does make me wonder, she's so close to him, and I haven't seen a married couple closer."

"You think-" Kenji's tone was suddenly louder and was that anger Usagi detected in his voice?

"No, of course not!" Ikuko's pitch went up as she tried to soothe him. "He's too much of a gentleman and she's too innocent. I only meant in the meeting of the minds and emotions."

"Well good, I know that's where it's headed eventually but not until she's out of this house." He'd settled down and he sounded disinterested.

"Maybe." Ikuko agreed. Then her voice rang clear and loud. "Usagi you can come in off the steps now." Usagi shame-faced walked in, having been caught overhearing. "You may go, go see him if you wish." Ikuko dismissed and Usagi bolted out of the room towards the front door. "Put your shoes on first!"

Her call caught Usagi just before she left and she looked down at her feet and flamed bright red, she was about to run over to the orphanage without her shoes! They might have mistaken her for an abandoned child. Oops.

Usagi was disregarding the rest of her parent's conversation, not giving it a moment's thought as she was allowed to see her friend again. She had missed him terribly today. She also felt incredibly guilty. Shoving her feet into her shoes as she ran was difficult but she managed to make it work and she flew down the sidewalks of Japan.

She rounded the corner to the orphanage and saw Mamoru sitting in the gardens, his shoulders hunched and staring at a point just in front of him. She didn't think, didn't pause or hesitate and took a running jump at him. She tackled him to the ground, or would have, if he hadn't turned in time and caught her. They still went backwards, but a lot more gracefully than in the past or they would have if it were just up to her. He held her tightly to him, not saying anything, just rocking with her in his arms.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed into his chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Shh." He soothed. "It wasn't your fault."

"I should have ignored them when they told me no. Come anyway." She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "They'll never keep us apart again."

He gave her a crooked smile and helped her dry her tears. "They never can. We might be physically apart, but I know that you would be with me all the time. You're here now, that's what's important. And don't go against them, please?"

There was a tell-tale catch in his voice and she understood its origin. Today of all days was not a day for declaring separation from one's living parents. It was why she'd broken down and pleaded, why she knew she had to see him. Today was very important to him. Mamoru had needed her, he had been told that his parents' effects were discovered and would be returned to him. "Anything of note in there?" Usagi eyed the box at his feet.

"A lot of paperwork." He set her to the side and held her hand while he dipped into the box. "My mother's rings and a framed photograph of their wedding day." He handed it to her and her fingers spread along the glass, tracing the features.

"You have her nose." Usagi commented. "His chin." A faint frown. "Neither of their eyes."

"Color, no, shape, yes." He pointed at his father's and Usagi could see it.

"A combination of their ears." She laughed slightly, their separation completely forgotten now. "Hmm... her cheekbones, just more masculine."

"My cheekbones are masculine?" He asked batting his eyelashes.

She knocked her shoulder into his arm as she shook her head. "You know what I meant."

"I do." He covered her hand over the photograph. "They have only given me the physical traits."

"Have these things stirred up any memories?"

"Nope. I don't remember them at all, but I was too young to really remember much. It is nice to see them though." Mamoru took the photograph back and put it into the box. "I can't believe an entire life can fit into something so small."

"Two if you think about it."

"No, one." Mamoru smiled at her meaningfully. "They were one."

"The way it should be." Usagi's voice was a little distant to her ears and she stared up at Mamoru unsure what was causing this. It had something to do with him though. "I am sorry for not being here when you went through it all."

"Your parents were worried, its understandable."

"But nearly unforgivable if you hadn't forgiven me."

"Don't cry again." He warned. "I can't take your tears and I have forgiven you, so its water under the bridge."

"Such strange sayings." Usagi suddenly grinned. "Want to go race for an ice cream cone?"

He chuckled and nodded. "But first I have to put this in the storage locker." He was only a minute and then they both took off towards the park where a man now sold ice cream.

Mamoru beat her there and she jumped in front of him. "My treat, you won." And she succeeded to pay for both of them.

Mamoru looped an arm around her waist as they walked to find a place to sit and eat the ice cream. "I think you let me win just so you could devise a way to pay."

"That's probably true." Usagi replied while licking her cone as a bit of the melted ice cream dribbled down the side. "If I won, I'd have said my treat, you lost and let me soothe that poor bruised ego of yours for losing to a girl that's so much your junior." As an after thought she added. "And stature."

"Well I didn't lose and we're probably better off all around for it." Her nose wrinkled as she conceded her defeat in this as well.

The rest of the evening passed in companionable banter and teasing. But soon she had to go home and Mamoru insisted, though the streets were perfectly safe, seeing her to her gate. Then he waved and walked off towards the home. Usagi watched him from her front step, securely behind the gate, and when she turned to go in, she saw her mother watching her through the window with a strange look on her features.

Usagi frowned at her mother, but the older woman only shook her head and opened the door for her daughter. "It's time to do your homework."

"Mamoru and I finished it earlier today." Usagi responded truthfully.

"I hope he didn't do it for you."

"Of course not!" Usagi vehemently denied. "He believes in doing things on your own merit. He just helped to explain when I didn't understand something. He even told me I got a few answers wrong but he wouldn't tell me which ones or why. I figured out two of them but the others still remain a mystery to me." Usagi scowled at that. "He promised he'd explain when I got them back if I didn't already figure it out or if the teacher didn't go over it. He even laughed when he said one was a trick question and I wouldn't know it was wrong until I learned the right way to do it later in the year."

Ikuko nodded. "All right then. Do what you'd like, but bed time is in a few hours." Ikuko half turned before she returned to her daughter and pulled her in her arms. "I do like Mamoru, honestly. He's like a son." She kissed Usagi on the top of her head and then left the room.

Usagi was left wondering what all of this was about. At any rate, she shrugged her shoulders and went upstairs. She wanted to play her video game for awhile and maybe even invite Shingo in to join her. The boy though was passed out on his bed with his homework surrounding him. Curious Usagi glanced down to see that it was his English school that he'd chucked to the side to be penciled in quickly later, though he didn't know what he was writing, just knowing how to copy from earlier in the text. The writing was getting neater but nothing great.

Usagi was a little jealous, he had it so much easier than she did at his age, the language program was too new when she started out. Though that didn't stop Mamoru from speaking it fluently. Sighing she closed the door on her brother and changed her plans. Perhaps she'd just chat on the computer with Naru.

–

Usagi looked up wearily as the sun shone down through the window at her. It was bright and in her face. Blinking she realized it wasn't the sun alone that was the culprit for the intense lighting. Her computer was still open and was showing her a lot of iiis, (or Japanese equivalent). Above it, Naru's words blurred but Usagi understood it to mean that Naru had insisted on getting a response out of Usagi after Usagi had said something surprising but there had been no reply forthcoming. Eventually Naru realized Usagi must have fallen asleep because while she wasn't logged off, she wasn't answering either. So Naru said a terse goodnight and logged off herself.

Groaning Usagi shut down her computer and rolled over onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time, trying to force herself up to go deal with getting dressed for the day. She had to go to class. If it was something she was excited for, it might have been easier, though she didn't detest school, she liked the people in it, it just didn't wow her.

With a tortured moan she forced her body upward and stumbled onto her feet. The motion was built so far into her system that she pulled on the skirt and tugged the shirt all without being consciously aware of it. She could do it in her sleep, in fact she was pretty sure she had on several occasions. Feet entered her shoes and then she realized she had no socks on and had to undo that process. Righting the wrong, she repeated it and then scooped up her briefcase, with one final check to make sure her homework really was in it. Then she was downstairs, grabbing a piece of toast and her lunch and running out the door.

It felt wayyyyy too early. In fact Usagi slowed to a halt as she realized that it was, but it was better to continue on than go back. It wasn't that early that it would be beneficial to return for a nap on the couch. She'd just go and wait where Mamoru usually connected up with her. Usually it was him waiting on her and it would be a nice change of pace today.

Usagi stretched as she walked, she was the only one on the street right now. That fact surprised her about as much as her being awake this early had shown on her mother's face. The streets of Tokyo were never _empty_. There might be breathing space, but empty, never.

Then she heard a commotion near her corner. "Hey, think it'll land on its feet?"

"That's what they say."

"We'll never know unless we try."

"We have to catch it first."

Three little boys were surrounding something and were quickly moving to intercept it. They had sticks and Usagi knew that they were harassing some poor animal. "Hey!" Usagi called out and ran towards them. "Let it go!"

The boys looked up and saw a girl older and admittedly, not much bigger, run after them and they scattered. Girls were terrifying! The poor creature was lying on its side and Usagi knelt down next to it. "Hey little guy, it's all right." She reached out a hand and got a swipe and a hiss in return. The claws were outstretched and Usagi barely drew back fast enough to avoid the talons. "It's ok, I've got you, I'm not going to hurt you." Usagi noticed a white bandage on its forehead. "What's the matter? Did you get a boo-boo?" She braved the cat again and removed the white bandaged just as it meowed/hissed loudly and took another swipe at her.

She felt the flesh break as the claws dug in and cut cleanly through the skin at her knee. It stung and hurt more than she recalled any cat hurting her before. Perhaps because there was so little flesh there, perhaps because it was pulled tautly. Whatever the reason, Usagi gasped in pain and missed the look that entered the cat's eyes as it retracted its claws. Somehow she missed all together the light that shined out from the cat's forehead for a brief second as it was revealed under the bandage.

Then the cat was out of her way, being snatched up by larger hands. "Give me a moment." Then he was away from her with the black beast that had done her harm after her help. But Usagi didn't blame the cat, she was scared and so much smaller than the human. She couldn't understand and Usagi tried to hobble to her feet again to tell Mamoru not to hurt it.

"Mamoru-" She tried and stopped when she couldn't find him at first. He wouldn't do anything, would he? She knew he wasn't a mean soul, especially towards animals and small children, but when it regarded her, he was a bit unpredictable.

Out of sight and hearing distance, Mamoru turned to the cat, not knowing but recognizing the symbol on its forehead and responding instantly to it. "I don't know what game you're playing, but leave us out of it. As far as she's concerned you're just a cat."

The cat hissed and took a bat towards his face.

"Don't you play dumb, I know you can understand. I've stopped you from interfering before." He really had no clue what he was saying. "If you so much as breath one word towards her-" He stopped there, cats didn't _talk_. At any rate he was on a rampage with his threats to the little cat. "I will make sure you never have the ability to speak again. Stay away. I won't let you hurt her in any way."

Then Mamoru set her down and was instantly back at Usagi's side. Usagi blinked at him in confusion. "Where'd you come from?"

"Just around the corner, silly." Mamoru smiled at her. "Feeling all right?"

Usagi gave herself a mental health check, though she didn't think she'd find anything but she wondered if she looked it. But as soon as she'd stopped worrying about the cat, she could feel the sting on her knee, could feel the air brushing against it, feel the warm blood run down her skin. She gave a shake of her head. "The cat- my knee." She knew it was only bullet points but she held out her leg for his inspection. She heard his sharp intake of breath. "Is it all right?"

"She got you good." Mamoru reached into his pocket for the handkerchief he always carried and wrapped it as best as he could around her knee. Since she had such knobby knees on her bird legs, it worked well enough. He stood and scooped her up, carrying her the short distance to school and to the nurse's office. "So much for being early."

"It's for a good cause and at least we'll have an excuse this time."

"Not much of one." He muttered but he wasn't removing himself to go and attend class and avoid a blemish on his perfect record.

The nurse stitched it and put a sticky over it and then told her she could be on her way. Mamoru vowed to himself that the cat would no longer appear along their route. It had before and he'd always gotten there first to scare it away. That cat would definitely be scared off for good next time even if he had to resort to violence. Though he never knew why.

Though his threat wouldn't do any good against those large blue eyes looking up at him with joy as she introduced him to her family's new cat later that day. The little weasel managed to work its way right in. Despite the fact that Shingo was afraid _and_ a little allergic to cats, that their father hated wild animals of any sort, even the domesticated ones. Their mother didn't want to clean up after it so it was decided that it would be an indoor-outdoor cat. It could find its own bathroom _outside_. When Mamoru had seen the cat in Usagi's arms, it seemed like those ruby red eyes were taunting him. As if she was saying _"Haha, I won."_

Usagi though looked at it and squealed with delight. She picked it up, ignoring the fact that only earlier that day had she needed stitches and stinging anti-bacterial gel. With an arm looped under the black cat's arms, looking incredibly awkward but cute, Usagi declared it part of her family. "I'll name you... Luna!"

It settled uncomfortably in Mamoru's gut, how precise Usagi had gotten to the name. "How'd you come up with that?"

"She's got a moon-shaped bald spot on her forehead. I thought the name was fitting and she doesn't seem to mind." Usagi grinned at him. "But I can't name her Tsuki, that's too close to my name and people would say I'm unoriginal. I looked it up in the translation. There were a lot of words for tsuki, I thought this one sounded the prettiest. _Luna_. It fits a girl, hai?"

He was unsure. "Why not something different? Like Alchamateties or something?"

"I can't even say it let alone spell it." Usagi shook her head. "No, I'll go the cliché route this time. If she didn't like it, she would have made it known."

That's what Mamoru was the most nervous about. With a glare at the cat, sitting on the porch as he left, he gave Usagi one last hug, daring the newly named Luna to get involved. She bared her teeth but didn't make a move towards him. Mamoru hated leaving Usagi there with the cat, but he didn't have much choice in the matter.

Then just to prove her cementation in her charge's life, she butted her head against Usagi's sore knee. Usagi was gushing over it rather than watching Mamoru walk away. Claiming that the brilliant little kitty knew it had done wrong and was showing that it was sorry. "It's ok, you were just scared, weren't you?" God it was like talking to a baby.

EAN: See what I did there? Subtle change in character perspective, hmm?


End file.
